From Pop-Ups to Podcasts: Closing Out 2025 with Cambrensis
Written by Rhys Friedli
Published Thursday 18th December 2025
Hi all, welcome back to the Cambrensis Blog. This being the last post of 2025, I would like to thank all the readers for such a positive reaction and can’t wait to start up again in the new year.
Starting off the roundup with another huge thank you to our two most recent hosts, Coaltown Coffee, Ammanford, and Calandras Menswear, Hereford. Our pop-up in the Coaltown Christmas market proved hugely successful, and we were extremely pleased to see so many new faces interested not only in the garments we produce, but also the story we tell with our visual identity.
As well, our pop-up shop promoting our Magnetic collaboration in Calandras was a great day for all involved, and again, we were so glad to see so many people interested in our brand. We hope this will lead to some more great events in the future as we continue to grow. So, a huge thank you not only to Scott and his wonderful team at Coaltown, and John (Giovanni) and Hugo at Calandras, but also to each and every one of you that turned up to show your support. Whether you have been here from the start or have just recently learned about us, we appreciate every single one of you.
In other news, we are delighted to announce the first episode of our brand-new podcast, From Collieries to Couture, hosted by BBC and S4C presenter Brandon Richards, will be premiering on all major streaming platforms this Sunday, the 21st of December. Our first guests will be long-term friends of the brand, Tony Rivers and Dave Jones, who co-authored Soul Crew together - a book that dives into the infamous Cardiff City football fans of the late 20th century, and more importantly, the fashion subculture that these men pioneered. This gave rise to some of the most popular menswear brands of the modern era, as well as the vibrant music and club culture that exploded in the latter years and far beyond, becoming a global obsession at its current peak.
The first episode focuses on the experiences of young football fans following their team throughout the country, documenting the cult-like style choices of each team’s set of fans, each with their own unique uniform - from the smart and expensive tendencies of the southern firms, the essential Adidas trainers popularised in the north, or the Scousers’ discovery of major European sportswear labels such as Stone Island and C.P. Company, which have become synonymous with, and have had a tremendous influence on, modern terrace wear to this day. Both shared their memories of heading over to mainland Europe to source these exact brands and then subsequently selling them to other football fans at the first opportunity - a popular money-maker for many young terrace wear enthusiasts of the time. We also touched on the rave scene that exploded towards the turn of the century, with Dave Jones being a well-known South Wales DJ specialising in early house music, and the colourful youth culture that surrounded these events.
This Saturday, we will be returning to Signori Menswear in Porthmadog, North Wales, for our biggest pop-up event this festive season - the Welsh Menswear Pop-Up - in conjunction with Spirit of ’58, a name that will be very familiar to all Welsh football fans, known for the hats and tees that have become an essential part of the famous “Red Wall”. We will also be joined again by Tony Rivers, who collaborated with us to bring you the Genoa range - a truly brilliant tribute to the Italian influence on Welsh culture and fashion. This event aims to celebrate the growing Welsh fashion scene and the tireless support of Welsh football fans from across the country. We can’t wait to see some familiar faces and meet new people interested in our rapidly growing brand. Products will be available on the day, so if you are in the area and want to see the pieces for yourself or learn more about our story, we would love to see you there.
We would like to wish every one of you a very Merry Christmas from the Cambrensis team and send out a huge thank you for such a brilliant and successful year. This truly isn’t possible without the incredible support we receive from our customers and friends of the brand. We look forward to another great year, and we are working hard to ensure this will be our biggest year yet as we continue to grow. We can’t wait to share all of the exciting events and projects in due time.
Nadolig Llawen!
Please also note: pre-orders for our Genoa collection are now closed and final invoices have been sent out accordingly. Any issues? Please feel free to get in contact.
Pop-up dates and locations are as follows:
Welsh Menswear Pop-Up Shop: Cambrensis, Magnetic & Spirit of ’58 - 20.12.25
Signori Menswear, Porthmadog
More dates and events will be revealed in the near future…
Diolch yn fawr iawn - thank you for reading the Cambrensis Blog.